ANDROGEN-DEPENDENT EXPRESSION OF FIBROBLAST GROWTH-FACTOR-I IN SUBMAXILLARY-GLAND OF MOUSE

We have purified a 16,000 dalton protein that stimulates growth of hum an umbilical cord vein-derived endothelial cells (HUV-EC) from mouse s ubmaxillary glands by using heparin-Sepharose affinity and C-4 reverse phase chromatography. The purified molecule was identified as an FGF- I on the basis of its biological activities, its affinity for heparin and its N-terminal amino-acid sequence. The concentrations of FGF-I in the submaxillary gland of male or testosterone-treated female mice we re about 12 times those of untreated females or castrated males. The 2 .3 and 4.1 kb FGF-1 mRNAs were expressed in the glands of male mice ol der than 4 weeks but not in the glands of female mice. These results s uggest that FGF-I may have important functions for growth, differentia tion and development of mouse submaxillary glands, and it may act as a n endocrine hormone. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.